The Laos-China Railway (also referred to as the Boten – Vientiane Railway) opened on 2 December 2021, making it the first passenger railway in Laos. This railway will be connected to trains from Kunming in China, and eventually, there will be direct services from Bangkok.
Laos also has a station at Thanaleng near the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge. This station is used for a cross-border shuttle service from Nong Khai in Thailand. From Nong Khai you can get the train to Bangkok.
Map of Laos Railways
Map of Laos Railway
Laos-China Railway (Boten – Vientiane)
[Train at Muang Xai.]
Website: http://www.lcrc.ltd/
Facebook: Laos – China Railway Company Limited
The Laos-China Railway is 414.332 kilometres, of which there are 258.5 kilometres of bridges and tunnels.
The line is a standard gauge (same as China and Europe) and uses electric-powered trains (EMU). The line is on a single track with passing loops. Express trains have a maximum speed of 160 km/h. Local trains and cargo trains travel up to 120 km/h.
[Laos-China Railway arriving at Luang Prabang, heading towards Boten.]
Laos-China Railway Stations
There are 20 stations, with another 12 that will be built in the future:
Boten
Na Teuy
Na Mor
Na Thong
Muang Xai
Na Khok
Muang Nga
Huoay Han
Luang Prabang
Xiang Ngoen
Phou Khoun
Kasi
Pha Daeng
Vang Vieng
Vang Khi
Muang Phôn-Hông
Phon Soung
Vientiane North
Vientiane
Vientiane South
The express trains stop at:
Boten (transfer for China trains)
Na Teuy
Muong Xai (provincial capital of Oudomxay province)
Luang Prabang
Vang Vieng
Vientiane
There is also a local service that stops at all stations, and this is offered at a cheaper rate than the express service.
Laos-China Railway Tickets
[Ticket office at Luang Prabang Station.]
There is currently no official website that sells tickets. Why an online ticketing system wasn’t developed in the 5 years that it took to build the railway remains a mystery.
Tickets are currently available via a smartphone app (Android and iOS). So far the app only works on Laos phones.
[Note: Baolau wasn’t available when I was in Laos so I don’t have any personal experience. I use Baolau frequently for Vietnam rail tickets so I will use them the next time I go to Laos.]
It was possible to buy tickets via the online travel agent Baolau, though ticket sales on the site have since been suspended.
Tickets are available at the train stations and at ticket offices in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
Vientiane Ticket Office: Vientiane Center Mall.
Luang Prabang Ticket Office: Phothisalath Rd, next to Le Pavillon de Jade.
– Tickets are available 3 days in advance.
– Ticket offices only sell tickets for the same departure city, and they don’t take cash.
Laos-China immigration procedure
China reopened international travel in January 2023. I will post immigration procedure here when it is known.
Passengers may wait 4 hours to pass immigration on Laos-China Railway – [23/01/23]
Laos-China Railway trip reports
Laos-China Railway – A review of the Vientiane to Boten train
My trip report of my travels along the entire length of the railway in May 2022.
Nong Khai (Thailand) – Thanaleng (Laos)
[Thanaleng Station.]
The Nong Khai – Thanaleng railway is an extension of the Bangkok to Nong Khai railway. This 4km railway is operated by Thai State Railways to Thanaleng, and from Thanaleng there are waiting minivans to complete the trip to Vientiane. Here is my trip report on how to get from Bangkok to Vientiane by train.
This is a metre-gauge railway, making it incompatible to be connected with the Laos-China Railway. Thailand is building a standard-gauge railway from Bangkok to Nong Khai, which will eventually connect with the Laos-China Railway.
Southeast Asia Railways
Read more about Southeast Asia rail travel, and current and proposed railways in Southeast Asia.
Read more train travel stories.
James this will be SO welcome. Especially since I visited Laos a while back. Busing was a bit rough in the country. The overall system was OK but some long stretches of road were in rough shape. Although folks who sell shock absorbers to buses in Laos must be billionaires by now LOL. Rocking post dude.
Lots of research done for this post…Thank you James for the updated info on Lao Railways.
SAD… now the millions of folks from China can journey to picturesque little towns like Luang Prabang and it will be overrun and completely ruined.
how to apply to rail ways in laos
There is no official website yet.
Tragic that Laos has had to get into so much debt (300 billion i read) so that China can bully their way through the country; China direct to the oil in the ocean, dont care who gets in the way!! Laos will never be the same again. I first went in 2001 and they were just getting their heads around going on buses on Highway 13. How many Laos people will be ever travelling on the train? Thanks for the upto date info. The bridge between Thailand and Vietnam bet they love that too…even the music on that video scared me. SE Asia will be undoubtedly now almos be a Chinese state.
James
Announced yesterday that there will be a 7.5 km railway from Thanalaeng to Ban Khamsavath, as Vientiane City’s station.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/02/c_138192062.htm
The article describes it as ‘…link the existing suburban station to central Vientiane …’ Ban Khamsavath is halfway between the existing Thanalaeng station and central Vientiane.
Thanks Mike, I’ve updated the post!
Hello do you know if bicycles can go on trains, is freight train separately? TIA
Unfortunately no bicycle carriage yet. That seems to be the most asked question, so I hope this is getting through to the railway management. The freight trains are separate from passenger services.